Chris Lombardi puts defense and security under the spotlight, as he shares his takes on recent NATO and EU cooperation and provides insight into the company’s own long-term strategic partnerships in Europe.

Three trends are currently driving the global electricity sector: decarbonization, decentralization and differentiation. Utilities are making significant contributions to mitigate carbon emissions, while a technology revolution is …

The decision, due to be rubber-stamped by Union foreign ministers nextweek, follows French pleas for the team to be allowed on to its soil nextyear.

The news will be welcomed by football fans, who recall Nigeria’sperformance in the US as the highlight of the 1994 World Cup. But it willinfuriate human rights organisations, which have already criticised the EUfor a weak commitment to democracy in Nigeria.

The Union imposed the sports embargo on the country after General SaniAbacha’s government executed Ogoni activist and international celebrity KenSaro-Wiwa and eight other critics of the regime in November 1995.

European states also cancelled development aid worth 200 million ecu,imposed an arms embargo and denied visas to Nigeria’s ruling junta. Butthey shied away from introducing an oil embargo, the only measure likely totopple Abacha according to organisations such as Human Rights Watch.

They claim that other sanctions are ultimately ineffective, hurtingmillions of ordinary Nigerians while Abacha and his junta remain incontrol.

Ministers will circumvent the ban through a legal nicety which says thatthe sports embargo – which was imposed on Nigeria after the date and venuefor the World Cup were agreed – cannot have a retroactive effect on eventsalready booked.

Although officials from other Union member states originally questioned thedecision, leading to long discussions in the EU’s political committee,foreign ministers are likely to adopt it next Monday (2 June) withoutdebate.

Nevertheless, critics such as the UK warn that such exemptions should notbe taken as a precedent, and insist that similar judgements in the futureshould be made on a case-by-case basis.